In the days and weeks that followed, as I managed the insomnia, I was also contending with bouts of extreme fatigue brought on by physical activities that are usually easy and even energizing for me: going for a long walk in the cold, riding an exercise bike, taking a sauna. I was bone-achingly exhausted but couldn't sleep that night. One glass of wine left me feeling the next day like I'd had a whole bottle. Soon after ending my isolation, I had dinner at a friend's house. Most people I knew were still lying low to avoid an omicron infection, but I was armed with a bit of extra immunity, making me feel low risk. I was anxious to get back out into the world. After eight days, I was feeling better, and I tested negative two days in a row using rapid antigen tests. I was vaccinated and boosted, and my case was indeed mild: sore throat, sinus pressure and headache, extreme fatigue. Like so many Americans, I got COVID-19 over Christmas. That's the message it sent to me, at least. But it can have the effect of suggesting that, for most people, the recovery process is, if not five days, pretty quick. That recommendation is understandably focused on the period during which someone is contagious, and as a result, it doesn't mention anything about lasting or recurring symptoms that might continue after the person is no longer infectious. In December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that those who test positive for the coronavirus can exit isolation after just five days if they are free of symptoms and continue to wear masks. This story was produced in partnership with Kaiser Health News.ĬOVID-19 symptoms that last for weeks may come as a surprise to some, especially after recent messaging from health authorities. I knew there was a risk for long COVID-19, even with mild cases, but in my mind, there were two types of COVID-19: run-of-the-mill cases that didn't last much longer than their isolation periods required, and long COVID-19, which was relatively rare. I've been reporting on COVID-19 since the coronavirus pandemic started, and I thought I knew what an infection would be like for a young, otherwise healthy person like me. Though they may not always amount to the debilitating cases of long COVID-19 that can leave people bedridden or unable to perform daily functions, it's very common to take weeks to fully recover - a condition I've been thinking of as "medium COVID." These are just a few COVID-19 symptoms that can linger after an initial coronavirus infection. The inability to smell milk that has gone bad. Nina Feldman, a reporter for member station WHYY in Philadelphia, had COVID-19 symptoms that persisted into what she calls "medium COVID."
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